Coolant Water - Sniffer?
Discussion
Hi guys, I am starting to look at Elises for purchase, I have been scanning and doing my research for about 12 months now.
I have been advised to by a kit that enables me to 'sniff' the coolant for oil/petrol residue to check if the head gasket is fine or not.
Does anyone on here know where I can get such a tool?
Many thanks, I will hopefully be posting here soon with piccies of my new car...... Only experience to date of driving an Elise was round Hethel 5 years ago on an interview at lotus....
I have been advised to by a kit that enables me to 'sniff' the coolant for oil/petrol residue to check if the head gasket is fine or not.
Does anyone on here know where I can get such a tool?
Many thanks, I will hopefully be posting here soon with piccies of my new car...... Only experience to date of driving an Elise was round Hethel 5 years ago on an interview at lotus....
Hi Mark - another South Coast PHer with an Elise - that's what we like to see! The Stylus looks great by the way - I considered a Fury before going the Elise route.
I';m sure I heard about some kind of analysis kit but I'm afraid I have no idea where from - might be owtrth asking a few garages or even see if a motor factor does some kind of test kit? Bit like Clear Blue for your car!
I';m sure I heard about some kind of analysis kit but I'm afraid I have no idea where from - might be owtrth asking a few garages or even see if a motor factor does some kind of test kit? Bit like Clear Blue for your car!
Hi Cuzza, unfortunately the Stylus went in December and hence I am running a Mk2 Golf at the moment. I need to buy an Elise out of season to get one at the right price which is starting to happen now.
Having owned a Striker and a Stylus I think an Elise will make an excellent everyday car, I have 3 to see this weekend so wish me luck.
I also see you are a Le Mans'r, 2005 will be my 12th year down at LM and can't wait to take an Elise.... I am sure Mad Friday will be an even better event next year!
Cheers, Mark B
Having owned a Striker and a Stylus I think an Elise will make an excellent everyday car, I have 3 to see this weekend so wish me luck.
I also see you are a Le Mans'r, 2005 will be my 12th year down at LM and can't wait to take an Elise.... I am sure Mad Friday will be an even better event next year!
Cheers, Mark B
Good luck! If you want it looked at, call Fibreglass Services at Arundel, Miles knows the cars inside and out and his labour rates are low.
Looking forward to Le Mans already - maxxed the Elise out on the Autoroute in the way back this year and some of the roads round the circuit are great fun, but you need a brave passenger
Did you use the Stylus everyday too?
Looking forward to Le Mans already - maxxed the Elise out on the Autoroute in the way back this year and some of the roads round the circuit are great fun, but you need a brave passenger
Did you use the Stylus everyday too?
Cooling systems (I hate - never cured the Dolomite Sprint overheating).
I have an 83,000 mile S1. Regarding the cooling system here is a little bit of advise:
Good tip when checking a car, start from cold and leave the car standing and allow it to warm up ensuring the fan cuts in. Let this cycle happen at least three times. If it cannot warm up and cool down tread carefully.
The only problem here with my S1 is that the car started to run at 64 to 79 instead of 84 to 95 new Thermostat cured it.
Some people talk about the Elise and cooling being a problem. The theory is, and it is just a theory and could be a load of hog wash, that in the cold months when going for a spin the car gets up to working temp. The water in the pipes from the thermostat to the rad is freezing cold (Thermostst not open yet as the temp is 84). The foot goes on the accelerator and the engine warms thus opening the thermostat and bang the freezing cold water hits the alloy head warping it with the CHG giving up. My tip here when driving the car is to let her warm up and watch the temp to see the thermostat open warm up again and now you can have your fun.
Check when the last C service was - CAM belt - this one is the biggy.
Check the Brakes the last set of disks and pads all round on a C service hit me for £998.
For good advise Lawrence5 shared a good link: www.elise-faq.info/content/buying/index.php
Good Luck
Gary.
I have an 83,000 mile S1. Regarding the cooling system here is a little bit of advise:
Good tip when checking a car, start from cold and leave the car standing and allow it to warm up ensuring the fan cuts in. Let this cycle happen at least three times. If it cannot warm up and cool down tread carefully.
The only problem here with my S1 is that the car started to run at 64 to 79 instead of 84 to 95 new Thermostat cured it.
Some people talk about the Elise and cooling being a problem. The theory is, and it is just a theory and could be a load of hog wash, that in the cold months when going for a spin the car gets up to working temp. The water in the pipes from the thermostat to the rad is freezing cold (Thermostst not open yet as the temp is 84). The foot goes on the accelerator and the engine warms thus opening the thermostat and bang the freezing cold water hits the alloy head warping it with the CHG giving up. My tip here when driving the car is to let her warm up and watch the temp to see the thermostat open warm up again and now you can have your fun.
Check when the last C service was - CAM belt - this one is the biggy.
Check the Brakes the last set of disks and pads all round on a C service hit me for £998.
For good advise Lawrence5 shared a good link: www.elise-faq.info/content/buying/index.php
Good Luck
Gary.
cuzza said:
Good luck! If you want it looked at, call Fibreglass Services at Arundel, Miles knows the cars inside and out and his labour rates are low.
Looking forward to Le Mans already - maxxed the Elise out on the Autoroute in the way back this year and some of the roads round the circuit are great fun, but you need a brave passenger
Did you use the Stylus everyday too?
Nope Stylus, got SVA'd did a few miles including a trip to LM in 2001. I then went on to a 'rebuild' when the plan was to strip out all weight and get a zetec fitted, what with number 2 child coming along plans changed and owning two cars became a nightmare, costs of garaging, insurance, time, etc, etc saw the car sold. I now feel an Elise fits all criteria for me, fun interest car and able make an everyday car.
Le Mans is my 2nd home, I love the place and always will. I finally got to travel around the circuit this year in my fathers E Type at Le Mans Classic, I organised a trip down for a few friends, we had a great run and all did a lap of the circuit before the racing on Saturday. 2 years time the Elise will carry me round!
How many times have you been to the great race?
Arundel isn't far away, I am in Worthing so ideal, I will look up the number.
Gary, great advice and something to be taken into consideration on the 22 mile commute I will be using the car for! I assume, keeping plenty of antifreeze/water wetter in is a good idea too?
Mark B said:
Le Mans is my 2nd home, I love the place and always will. I finally got to travel around the circuit this year in my fathers E Type at Le Mans Classic, I organised a trip down for a few friends, we had a great run and all did a lap of the circuit before the racing on Saturday. 2 years time the Elise will carry me round!
How many times have you been to the great race?
Arundel isn't far away, I am in Worthing so ideal, I will look up the number.
Only twice but will be back next year in Maison Blanche and my girlfriend will be making her first pilgrimage too. How did you get on the track? I'd love to have a blast round there!
For FS look here www.fibreglassservices.co.uk/ I get all my servicing etc. done there - always a good laugh and a great way to waste a few hours talking about cars!
Gary - 83000 miles in an Elise
that's commitment!!cuzza said:
Only twice but will be back next year in Maison Blanche and my girlfriend will be making her first pilgrimage too. How did you get on the track? I'd love to have a blast round there!
For FS look here www.fibreglassservices.co.uk/ I get all my servicing etc. done there - always a good laugh and a great way to waste a few hours talking about cars!
Gary - 83000 miles in an Elise
My girlfriend (now wife) went down to LM for 5 years and loved it, always asked why we didn't watch more racing and spent the time at the campsite enjoying the atmosphere. I have always stayed on Houx Annexe and will do until they close it, if it ever happens.
Our group is pretty well renowned, Gold Cup coloured Europa, starting the Houx Annexe roundabout scene, huge flagpoles and Sunday night fireworks.....
We got on track as I arranged a group display within the classic car area at Classic Le Mans. As part of it you have the option to do track laps for a given fee, which to drive the circuit was peanuts.
I just cannot wait to get an Elise......
Mark B
Mark,
The chemical test kit you are after is available from Frost Auto Restoration (www.frost.co.uk) and is listed on their website as 'Block Tester' under the engine and mechanical products section.
Alternatively, many garages will do the test for you for £5-£10.
Personally, I think this might be a bit OTT - head gasket failure does occur on Elises, but it is hardly an everyday occurance and the usual visual checks for contaminated oil/coolant, mayonnaise on the oil filler cap and bubbles in the header tank with the engine running etc. are probably insurance enough.
The suggestion to run the engine at idle until the fan cuts in is a good one, but for the fact that with the way the weather is behaving at the moment, it may take several hours! The fan on my Elise was seized solid, but it took several months for me to find out because it never got hot enough to switch on. Only when I got caught in a long queue of traffic exiting th M25 to Brands Hatch, after sustained high speed running and in absolutely scorching hot weather, did the temperature rise to the point where the fan should have cut in.
Because the fan is located under the horizontal rad (ideally placed to catch rain though the bonnet vents) and because it switches on so infrequently when the cooling system is in decent shape, the fan itself is quite prone to seizure, however. As it's a clamshell-off and cooling system drained job to replace it, it might be wise to test the fan on any car purchased.
The easy way to do this is to remove the appropriate relay under the bonnet and bridge the 'switched' terminals for the fan with a piece of wire or paperclip. Obviously, if the fan is in working order, it will spin up when you do this, and you can judge the condition and any early signs of seizure by the length of time it takes to slow down to a standstill again when you take the power away.
The chemical test kit you are after is available from Frost Auto Restoration (www.frost.co.uk) and is listed on their website as 'Block Tester' under the engine and mechanical products section.
Alternatively, many garages will do the test for you for £5-£10.
Personally, I think this might be a bit OTT - head gasket failure does occur on Elises, but it is hardly an everyday occurance and the usual visual checks for contaminated oil/coolant, mayonnaise on the oil filler cap and bubbles in the header tank with the engine running etc. are probably insurance enough.
The suggestion to run the engine at idle until the fan cuts in is a good one, but for the fact that with the way the weather is behaving at the moment, it may take several hours! The fan on my Elise was seized solid, but it took several months for me to find out because it never got hot enough to switch on. Only when I got caught in a long queue of traffic exiting th M25 to Brands Hatch, after sustained high speed running and in absolutely scorching hot weather, did the temperature rise to the point where the fan should have cut in.
Because the fan is located under the horizontal rad (ideally placed to catch rain though the bonnet vents) and because it switches on so infrequently when the cooling system is in decent shape, the fan itself is quite prone to seizure, however. As it's a clamshell-off and cooling system drained job to replace it, it might be wise to test the fan on any car purchased.
The easy way to do this is to remove the appropriate relay under the bonnet and bridge the 'switched' terminals for the fan with a piece of wire or paperclip. Obviously, if the fan is in working order, it will spin up when you do this, and you can judge the condition and any early signs of seizure by the length of time it takes to slow down to a standstill again when you take the power away.
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